Gerard Healy says he’s shocked by Damien Hardwick’s decision to walk out on Richmond mid-season.
SEN’s Tom Morris broke the news that the triple-premiership coach would leave Punt Road with an announcement to come tomorrow. It’s understood burnout contributed to the decision.
Reacting to the news on SEN’s Sportsday, Healy pondered how Hardwick made up his mind given he played an active role in recruiting high-profile midfield duo Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper and the end of last year.
“It would be a challenging decision because he clearly would have been involved in convincing a couple of blokes to come to the club and sign long-term contracts,” Healy said minutes after learning the news.
“I think they would have assumed he’d be there for the ride.
“They’re all human stories and circumstances change. This is a shock to everyone in footy.”
WATCH | The @SENSportsday team learn the news Damien Hardwick will quit the Richmond Football Club, as broken by @tommorris32. pic.twitter.com/poZqPCcJ8r
— SEN 1116 (@1116sen) May 22, 2023
The 1988 Brownlow Medallist now can’t see Hardwick joining a second club for the 2024 season.
“You wouldn't have thought so (that he’d have a year off),” Healy added.
“It would seem most unusual to be leaving a club with burnout and then taking up the reigns (somewhere else).
“The footy season starts in September. It doesn’t start in March next year, it starts in late September, the draft and the trade period is on, you’ve got to be appointed before then and then the circle starts again.”
But Hardwick’s decision comes at strange timing. The Tigers were only just edged out by Essendon in a one-point loss on Saturday night, a game they arguably deserved to win.
Richmond has still won two of its last three games and knocked off the reigning premiers in Geelong less than a fortnight ago. The club is less than two wins out of the top eight.
“It’s so unusual. It’s Round 10 and they’re still a mathematical chance to play finals. It’s an extraordinary announcement from Tom and it’s going to be interesting to the man himself (Hardwick) when he fronts the media tomorrow,” Healy stated.
More to come.